Ian Woosnam kept his run of Open championship appearances going with a sudden death chip-in from almost 70 feet at the final qualifying competition yesterday.

Ian Woosnam kept his run of Open championship appearances going with a sudden death chip-in from almost 70 feet at the final qualifying competition yesterday.

Woosnam, who has played in every Open since 1981, thought he had blown his hopes when he bogeyed the final two holes of his second round at Prince's.

But four hours later the former world No 1 - third at Lytham only two years ago - found himself battling with four others for three places in Thursday's starting line-up.

It did not look good when he missed the green at the first, but after changing from a wedge to a nine-iron he holed from nearly 70 feet.

"It was about time I had a bit of luck," he said.

"I'm happy and I'm going for a pint!

"The chip was from a bit of a fluffy lie, but it came out absolutely perfect."

Earlier Woosnam had declared his driving "shocking" after a second successive 70 left him joint fifth of the 96 players.

He was left with a long wait after missing the green at the short 17th and then came up short of the green both with his second shot to the last and with his chip.

Australian Jarrod Moseley and Dane Steen Tinning were joint winners on the course with eight under par totals of 136.

Another Australian, Steven Bowditch, overcame an off-course headache for his brother and caddie to lead the qualifiers at Littlestone, adding a 70 to his opening 65 for a seven under aggregate.

"I wasn't in a good frame of mind on the first tee - he'd lost his wallet and passport," he said. "It was possibly on a train from London, where we visited friends last night.

"But I settled down and was OK."

Liverpool-born Paul Wesselingh, now based in Derby, broke the course record Bowditch had set by returning a 64 - eight better than his first round effort - to qualify for his first Open for 11 years.

"I was gutted yesterday, but I stood on the tee, told myself I was seven over and went out to retrieve those seven shots."

Former Ryder Cup quartet Paul Broadhurst, Barry Lane, Paul Way and Gordon J Brand - runner-up to Greg Norman at Turnberry in 1986 - all failed to make it through, as did American Jeff Maggert, who led the Masters with a round to play in April. He missed by three.

Another disappointed to bow out was Costantino Rocca, a member of three European Ryder Cup teams and loser of a play-off to John Daly at St Andrews in 1995.

Liverpudlian Nick Dougherty, a big friend of Ashington's Kenneth Ferrie and last season's European tour Rookie of the Year, who has missed his last five halfway cut and is trying to shake off glandular fever-type symptoms, is another who will not be at Royal St George's.

He was four over after rounds of 71 and 75, while 1993 Ryder Cup star Peter Baker withdrew after nine holes of his second round having aggravated a wrist injury. He was one over par at the time. Royal Cinque Ports amateur Steve Tiley, who led on his home course after a 67, not just failed to stay out in front, but also failed to qualify. Tiley's second round was a nightmare 80 and he missed out by seven strokes.

Derbyshire professional Mark Smith shot a course record 66 to charge into first place.

"This is my best achievement," commented the 26-year-old from the Erewash Valley club, who finally made it through into the Open at the fourth attempt.

Double Australian Open Aaron Baddeley returned a 68, but he had opened with a 78 and so he crashed out.

But Rowe, now a professional, will still be part of the Open action - he is going to caddie for British amateur champion Gary Wolstenholme. Scot Gordon Sherry, who won the British amateur in 1995 and was tipped for great things, failed to make it as well, as did Steven Richardson, whose game went into sharp decline after being second to Seve Ballesteros on the 1991 Order of Merit and played in the Ryder Cup with Broadhurst that year.

Australians Cameron Percy and Matthew Goggin joined Woosnam in progressing from the Prince's play-off after South African Bradford Vaughan, having missed a four-foot putt, lost a ball on the next.